1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to flashlights and, more particularly, to small compact self-contained flashlights.
2. Description of Related Art
Miniaturizing flashlights makes them more adaptable to variety of applications and more useful as a personal item. However, endeavors to reduce the size of flashlights have not been noteworthy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,356 discloses a miniature light assembly in which a user must grab the bulb and pull it outwardly from its housing. This movement draws an angular lead segment into contact with a battery to activate the bulb. Grasping a miniaturized bulb and pulling it outwardly generally requires two hands. Also, it is cumbersome for many people to grasp and pull a small glass bulb.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,759 discloses a pocket flashlight wherein a bulb is housed within a reciprocable casing. Instead of pulling out on the bulb, the casing is pushed in to make contact with a battery and activate the bulb. This construction requires multiple housing parts that create a flashlight that is bulky and unnecessarily heavy.
A different structure for activating a pocket flashlight is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,152. In this patent, the bulb is stationary and the battery is housed within a slidable housing cover member. Pushing forward on the cover member causes the battery electrical end contact to engage the bulb and complete the circuit for illuminating the bulb. This was a popular item but requires a standard AA or AAA sized battery. Thus, it is heavier and larger than necessary.
Another pocket light is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,627. This light utilizes a housing that is secured to the interior of a purse by a magnetic disk. The battery and bulb are stationary within the housing and activation of the bulb is accomplished through the use of a button which spreads apart the limbs of a U-shaped electric contact. When spread apart, the limbs complete the electrical circuit between the battery and bulb resulting in illumination. The above switch requires multiple mechanical and electrical parts and is not suitable for miniaturization.
To create a flashlight within a card-like housing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,613 utilizes layers of conductive foil material that form a circuit between a bulb and battery. The circuit is completed by pressing a spot on the housing sidewall that overlays an interior switch. A resilient foam pad over the switch maintains an electrical coupler in an off position out of contact with an adjacent conductive layer.
A problem with the above is that foil layers are fragile, easily corroded and are poor conductors of electricity. Moreover, depressing a foam pad so that electrical contact can be made is notoriously unreliable. Additionally, it is well known that foam materials harden and crumble over a relatively short period of time.